Dear community, today we sent two emails to parents both of which are atatched to this page. The key points fromthe second message are as follows:

1) Our Key worker provision is still available and will run as planned from Tuesday 5 Jan.

2) Testing for staff and students attending schools or exams will still be available. As we will now not need to test other students, as far as we know, we will not need to invite students without exams and not attending the key worker programmes for tests. We are deeply grateful to all the members of our community who volunteered earlier this evening to add capacity to the testing programme. We do not expect that we will need to take up your kind offers.

3) The message for Year 11 and 13 students from the Prime Minister was "In the circumstances, we do not think it is possible for all exams in the summer to go ahead as planned. We will accordingly be working with Ofqual to consult rapidly to put in place alternative arrangements that will allow students to progress fairly."

Clearly this is a disappointment for many students and implies that some exams may still go ahead.

To give us time tomorrow to consider the implications of this carefully we will not be delivering remote teaching to Y11 and 13 students as we had planned for Tuesday 5 January.

However, clearly the learning this year is valuable to support their preparation for future courses in Sixth Form, College and University so we will continue remote teaching for all year groups (including Y11 & 13) later this week. There may also be other methods of assessment to complete this year. We will also, of course, work hard to provide all the usual evidence of their achievements through Records of Achievement, UCAS and support their progression into next year. This is also likely to include a return to school for them once conditions change.

4) We have received confirmation that exams planned for January will proceed as planned. These students will be well supported in their preparations, have the opportunity to be tested, and be examined in an appropriate environment. We will email students with an exam on Wednesday (Y13 Business and PE) as well so they are aware. If the situation changes we will email again.

5) From the new national restrictions guidance "Colleges, primary (reception onwards) and secondary schools will remain open for vulnerable children and the children of critical workers. All other children will learn remotely until February half term."

Thank you as ever for your understanding and support to protecting the health and futures of our community.

Regards, Thomas Gainsborough School